The Pollution of the Buriganga:

Its Environmental and

Economic Impact





Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Origin of the Report ........................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Objectives of the Report ............................................................................................................... 1
1.2.1 Primary Objective .................................................................................................................. 1
1.2.2 Secondary Objectives ............................................................................................................ 2
1.3 Scope of the Report ........................................................................................................................ 2
1.4 Limitations of the Report ................................................................................................................ 2
1.5 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 3
2.0 The Buriganga river system ............................................................................................................... 4
3.0 The Current Situation ........................................................................................................................ 5
4. 0 Causes of the pollution of Buriganga ................................................................................................ 7
4.1 History of the pollution ................................................................................................................. 7
4.2 Brief overview of the main sources .............................................................................................. 8
4.2.1 Industrial units ...................................................................................................................... 8
4.2.2 Domestic and solid wastes .................................................................................................. 10
4.2.3 Local vessels ........................................................................................................................ 12
4.2.4 Sedimentation ..................................................................................................................... 12
4.2.5 Encroachment ..................................................................................................................... 13
5.0 Impacts on Environment Due to Buriganga River Pollution ........................................................... 14
5.1 Impacts stretching boundaries ................................................................................................... 16
5.2 Water use in question ................................................................................................................. 16
5.3 Impact on food chain .................................................................................................................. 18
5.4 Lust ends nowhere ...................................................................................................................... 19
6.0 Impacts on Economy Due to Buriganga River pollution ................................................................ 20
6.1 Scarcity of Clean Water ............................................................................................................... 20
6.2 Obliteration of Fisheries.............................................................................................................. 21
6.3 Navigation problem .................................................................................................................... 22

6.4 Reduction in Tourism Attractiveness ......................................................................................... 23
7.0 Steps Taken so far ........................................................................................................................... 24
7.1 Relocation of the Hazaribag tannery .......................................................................................... 24
7.2 Plan to Import water from Jamuna River ................................................................................... 26
7.3 Step taken by the previous caretaker government .................................................................... 27
7.4 Concern expressed by our lawyers ............................................................................................. 27
7.5 Works by Awareness Groups ...................................................................................................... 27
8.0 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 29












vii


Executive summary

Bangladesh is a country renowned for the countless rivers that create an intricate network across
it. These rivers are what make Bangladesh a very unique country of the South East region of the
globe. One of the oldest and most well-known rivers is the Buriganga River. The River
Buriganga is the life line of the Dhaka city and flanked in its southern side. However, very sadly
this historic and mystic river has now been severely polluted by the uncontrolled sewerage
effluent from the city.

This report looks into the major causes of pollution and concludes that nine industrial areas in
and around Dhaka are mainly responsible for the current situation of the Buriganga River. The
tanneries, dyeing mills, plastic and rubber product manufacturing plants and pesticide factories
dump huge volumes of industrial effluent into the river daily. In addition to that the careless
disposal of plastic bottles and containers, used batteries and polythene are also choking the river.
Domestic wastes flow into this river causing further pollution. Dhaka Wasa happens to have just
one sewage treatment plant and since this is not sufficient, most of the sewage ends up flowing
down the Buriganga. The dumping of millions of tons of human and industrial waste has turned
the water pitch black. It is not just the water that is being polluted; the noxious smells emanating
from the toxic pollutants in the river also create massive air pollution.

This report found out that nearly four million people directly suffer the consequence of the poor
water quality. These people are neither able to use this water for washing nor for irrigation. In
fact, even fishing is not possible since the aquatic life is steadily declining due to the extensive
water pollution. Shipping vessels plying the waters of the Buriganga also are very insensitive to
this issue and they often spill lots of oil and other chemicals into the river.
Encroachment of the river by the influential segment of the country is also a big threat to the
river. Illegal structures including houses, bazaars, ports and brickfields are sprouting up on the
river bank and hindering the river flow. The loss of course of the river results in a narrower river
viii

bed which makes the Buriganga more vulnerable to flooding. To prevent this, the river is often
dredged but this causes the branching rivers and canals to dry up; ultimately, the land grabbers
get more opportunity to construct illegal structures.
All these are leading to the economic detriment of Bangladesh. The fisheries export industry and
the tourism industry are badly suffering due to the pollution in the Buriganga. The report ends
with a glance into the activities of non profit groups such as Save Buriganga which are trying
to free the river from the clutches of industrial pollution and vicious land grabbers. The main
thing that needs to be done is to relocate the tanneries further away from the river. Also, more
efficient effluent treatment plants are urgently needed.













1


1.0 Introduction

This part entails how the report has been originated, what this report attempts to unearth,
the scope and limitation of the study, and lastly, how the data have been collected.

1.1 Origin of the Report

This report has been undertaken as a partial fulfillment of the course titled Economics of
Geography & Environment (G101) instructed to us by Professor Amanat Ullah Khan,
Guest faculty, IBA, University of Dhaka. The course instructor had assigned to us a
report on any environmental issue of social significance. We chose to do it on the very
river on whose left bank our capital city Dhaka is located the once mighty Buriganga
River, which very sadly is on the brink of death today primarily because of human
activities.

1.2 Objectives of the Report

The objectives of the study are two-fold and are described as follows

1.2.1 Primary Objective

Our prime goal is to gain a comprehensive insight into the current situation of the dying
Buriganga river and find out ways to save it, while fulfilling the task given to us by
Professor Amanat Ullah Khan, as a part of our Economics of Geography & Environment
course. We aim to gain an in depth idea of the root causes of pollution in the Buringanga
River and also of its impact in our lives.

2

1.2.2 Secondary Objectives

In order to fulfill the primary objectives, the secondary objectives are:

to identify the major causes of pollution in the river
to learn about encroachment on the banks of the river
to find out how the pollution in the river is harming the locality of the Buriganga
to find out how the pollution eventually leads to problems in the economy of
Bangladesh
to gain an insight into the steps taken by the government and also by not-for-profit
organizations so far to save the Buriganga.


1.3 Scope of the Report

This report has been done on the pollution in the Buriganga. The report primarily focuses
on the activities of human beings that are leading to the death of the river. It does not
focus much on the natural forces acting on it. The report also covers all those steps that
can be taken to save the Buriganga from the clutches of the rapidly spreading pollution.

1.4 Limitations of the Report

As the citizens of Bangladesh are getting more and more environment conscious every
day, much is being written on issues such as the pollution in the Buringanga River. Hence
ample secondary information was available for the preparation of this report, from
websites and newspaper articles. Therefore no limitations were faced regarding data
collection. However, time constraint was faced. It would have been possible to cover
each topic in this report in greater detail than it has been, had more time been available.

3

1.5 Methodology

The information used in this report has been collected completely from secondary
sources. No primary sources were used since it was not deemed necessary to do so.

The internet was a main source of background information about the Buriganga
River. It not only provided us with a background of the river but also provided us
information regarding the current state of the river, the nature of the industries
causing pollution, the vicious land grabbers and so on. Finally, the various
websites also provided information regarding what should and should not be done
if the river is to be protected. The links used for the purpose of this report include:


Newspaper articles and write-ups of eminent environmentalists from different
magazines were also used. Articles from the Daily Star and other newspapers
provided relevant quantitative and qualitative information.

4


2.0 The Buriganga river system

The Buriganga River system is located in the southeastern part of the North Central
Region of Bangladesh, close to the confluence of the Padma (Ganges) and Upper Meghna
Rivers. The Buriganga is a tributary to the Dhaleswari River, which, after the Old
Brahmaputra River, is the largest river in the North Central Region. The Lakhya River
joins the Dhaleswari, 11 km downstream of the Buriganga confluence. The Dhaleswari
drains into the Meghna River, just upstream of the Padma confluence.















Figure: The rivers around Dhaka
The Buriganga is fed mainly by the Turag River, which receives flows from local rainfall
and spill flows from the left bank of the Jamuna River. The Lakhya River drains a large
catchment lying between the central forested areas and the Old Brahmaputra. Additional
inflows to the system originate from the Balu, which drains a small catchment to the west

5

of the Lakhya, and from the Ichamati and Karnatali Rivers, which carry mainly spills
from the Padma and Jamuna Rivers respectively.
The lower reaches of the Dhaleswari-Buriganga-Lakhya system are tidal during the dry
season when upstream inflows are minimal. Saline intrusion, however, does not take
place.

3.0 The Current Situation

Buriganga is in a dire state with pollution and encroachment eating away at its existence
day by day. The river carries only toxic waste water during the seven months of the dry
season (November-May). Even the wet season offers no refuge. Industrial dumping and
domestic wastes make the water so contaminated that no aquatic animal can survive in
the poisonous river water, let alone be used by locals for everyday purposes.







Figure: The polluted black water of the
buriganga


Moreover locals and vessel operators randomly dump solid wastes into the Buriganga-
Turag system. Huge quantities of discarded polythene, household wastages and human

A recently published report has pointed out
that there are over 7,000 industrial units
including- dyeing mills, tanneries, rubber
and plastic product factories, pesticide
factories-in the Dhaka metropolitan area. Of
these, the dyeing factories and the tanneries
are the biggest polluters. Each day about
900 cubic metres of untreated domestic and
industrial effluents are discharged into the
Buriganga-Turag system. Industries at these
areas discharge untreated washing and
clinical wastes, used batteries, plastic bottles
and containers, and other discarded plastic
materials and burnt oil into the river water.
6

excrete causes hazard to the marine life and make the water lethal. They also dump the
useless solid wastes of crushed materials into the river.
















Figure: In the present scenario the river banks are occupied mostly by illegal structures.

Encroachment is a serious issue in Dhaka. Buriganga banks are often reclaimed and built
upon. Politically backed influential land encroachers have created illegal structures on the
river bank. This loss of river bank means a narrower river bed which exacerbates
flooding.
Authorities had launched several drives to free the Buriganga river bank from the illegal
structures in the past. Arrests had been made, encroached structures destroyed but in the
end the loopholes of the system allow the land grabbers to come back again and resettle
in the illegal territory.


7

4. 0 Causes of the pollution of Buriganga

The river Buriganga has become polluted over the years causing serious environmental
degradation in the capital and its surroundings. The pollution problems are the outcome
of both natural as well as human activities and interventions and also due to lack of
adequate pollution control measures.
The natural reasons behind the problems include hydraulic and morphological changes in
the rivers around Dhaka. Due to gradual sedimentation in the Buriganga-Turag-Balu-
Lakhya river systems, the conveyance capacities of the channels have decreased, causing
no flow condition during the dry season and consequently the navigation drafts have been
reduced. Moreover, the feeder-rivers from the source of the Brahmaputra do not receive
flows due to drying up of the distributaries during the dry season. Heavy sedimentation at
the off take and river reaches is the major problem impeding sustainable development.
Human activities and interventions include encroachment on the river bed, floodplains
and low lying areas, sewage and solid waste disposal, insufficient water supply and
sanitation, industrial waste disposal and high rate of migration of the poor people in the
slum areas of Dhaka. The dumping of untreated liquid tannery wastes from tannery
industries at Hazaribagh, Dhaka is the major source of pollution of Buriganga. Besides
contaminated water dumped everyday from the 500 kilometre long sewerage line of
Dhaka city is another important reason for water pollution in the river. Other reasons
responsible for water pollution in the river Buriganga include dumping of oil from
vessels plying on the river, human wastes from unsanitary latrines set up on or near the
river. Illegal settlements on both sides of the river are also responsible for both water
pollution and obstacles to the course of the river.
4.1 History of the pollution
Pollution of Buriganga River dates back to the Mughal period. At that time, the sewage
of the city used to be dumped into the river. Historians state that, people used to get bad
smell one and half kilometers away from Buriganga River even in the late 19th century.
The then British administration showed concern about the river, since the water level
used to decrease to an alarming level during the dry season. Renowned Scottish town
8

planner Patrick Geddes made a master plan for Dhaka City including the Buriganga River
in 1917. The then administration also made some plans to save Buriganga from the grasp
of ongoing pollution caused by domestic sewage. However, the pollution of the river was
at a tolerable level till the Pakistani period. But after Liberation, the pollution exceeded
all limits because of encroachment, unplanned urbanization and establishment of
polluting industries in the city. Water pollution has taken so devastating a turn that the
river has become intolerably contaminated and lifeless.
4.2 Brief overview of the main sources
Several studies on the Buriganga River have identified many causes for the river's
pollution such as sedimentation at the upstream, encroachment, and disposal of solid
wastes, sewage and industrial wastes in the river. All of these source of pollution stem
from the over population of the metropolitan. The city passed its carrying capacity a long
time.
4.2.1 Industrial units
The main causes of the pollution can undoubtedly be linked to the indiscriminate
dumping of refuse by the numerous industrial units on the banks of the Buriganga. More
than 7,000 units of industries for textiles, metals, chemicals, rubber, pharmaceuticals,
cement, leather, pulp, paperboards, fertilizer, food processing, and petroleum refining in
the city area are discharging 1.3 million cubic metres of untreated industrial effluents in
the rivers, an outstanding violation of the Environment Conservation Rule 1997.
The Institute of Water Modeling (IWM), a government established trust has identified
four industrial clusters and many other small zones as the major pollutants of Buriganga-
Turag rivers. Of these clusters the hydrologists identify tanneries as the biggest polluters.
About 500 tanneries including 200 large units in Hazaribagh are discharging 4.75 million
litres of a variety of extremely toxic wastes into the river. On top of this 95 metric tones of
solid and hazardous wastes including trimmings of finished leather, shaving dusts, hair,
fleshing, trimming of raw hides and skins are also dumped in the area's open drains every
year.
9

The Hazaribagh tannery complex and other industries, primarily the glue and paint industries in
the same general location, have affected water and air quality in the large poorly drained area
locked behind a nine meters high flood control embankment constructed in 1989-1990 in south-
west Dhaka City. Up until the time of embankment construction, the contaminants were washed
to the Buriganga river by annual flooding. At present, the existing sewage outfalls, the
sewage lift operations consisting of 16 pumps and local residential drains are not
adequate to properly and efficiently remove all the waste products generated by the
factories and population of the area. This is partly a maintenance problem but an
environmental problem has been created by the discharging of wastewater with
excessively high solids content and a dangerous level of chromium among other heavy
metals and toxic materials.








However, these drains are flushed during the rainy season, the sludge being carried along
as suspended sediment. During the dry season the area is submerged by tannery
wastewater and the contaminated wastewater pond areas are now approximately 8-10
times larger than that of the pre-embankment period. It is quite possible that toxic sludge
is accumulating on the bottom of the large ponds where it is unlikely to be pumped out.
The glue and paint industries also create pollutants which affect this area. No effort has
been made to distinguish the impact of these two industries. There is a lesser problem
related to the disposal of household wastes as only 32 per cent of local residences are
connected to the sewer system.

Beginning in late 2000 an unknown quantity of
the tannery effluent which previously had
remained in stagnant waters and drains in the
lowlands behind the Dhaka Flood Protection
Embankment was being released through large
underground pipes into the Buriganga River at
Katasur near the Rayerbazar memorial. Tannery
solid wastes have accumulated in the sludge
deposits of drains since the construction of the
embankment.
Figure: Chemical effluents
entering river water


10

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) notes that the chrome -
containing sludge and solid waste, especially fleshing wastes, that is generated by the
tanneries at Hazaribagh is collected by Dhaka City Corporation and is dumped in the
landfills. This is shifting the pollution problem to the outskirts of the city. Moreover, the
chrome containing solid wastes of wet-blue trimmings and shavings is often incinerated
in the tannery boiler oven, resulting in the release of hexavalent chrome containing
particles in the air. Moreover, the geologists have found hazardous heavy metals in the
underground area of tanneries, since sludge, containing heavy metals, are not of disposed
properly. Health experts claim such polluting agents have every possibility of creating
cancerous diseases.
Besides, there are many small units on both sides of Buriganga between Bangladesh-
China Friendship Bridge 1 and 2, mainly located at Babubazar, Jinjira, Kaliganj,
Postagola and Shyampur. There are small shipyards, dyeing units and small industries at
these areas that discharge untreated washing and clinical wastes, used batteries, plastic
bottles and containers, and other discarded plastic materials and burnt oil into the river
water. They also dump the useless solid wastes of crushed materials into the river.
Most of the industries do not have any treatment facility for wastewaters. Treatment
plants possessed by a few industries, however, do not operate regularly. While most of
the industries discharge wastewater into drains or canals, which ultimately fall into
nearby water courses. Some of the industries dump the wastewater directly on the
ground. Some of them, situated by the side of rivers, discharge their wastewaters into the
rivers through underground/concealed pipes, which are not visible from the land or water
surface.
4.2.2 Domestic and solid wastes
As mentioned before, Discarding domestic wastes and solid wastes into the Buriganga
has been a common practice amongst the city dwellers since the Mughal period. Even
after couple of centuries, government agencies such as Rajdhani Unnyan Kartripakkha
(RAJUK), Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Water Supply and Sewerage Authority
(WASA), Department of Environment (DoE) Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
11

Authority (BIWTA) and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) have failed to
stop disposal of solid wastes and domestic wastes into the river bodies.
Several studies show that, each day about 900 cubic meters untreated domestic and
industrial effluents are discharged into the Buriganga-Turag system. Dhaka WASA has
only one sewage treatment plant at Pagla with a capacity of 0.12 million cubic metres per
day, which is only 10 percent of the total disposal of sewage. But plagued by system loss
and mismanagement, the treatment plant is operating at one third of its capacity.
Industrial waste should not be allowed to enter the domestic sewage network as it
interferes with treatment plants. As a result, Buriganga and other rivers and canals are
Dhaka's main outlet of sewage waste. Statistics say, up to 80 percent of Dhaka's untreated
sewage is drained in Buriganga-Turag channel. Each day a huge volume of domestic
waste of the entire area from Gazipur to Munshiganj, is discharged into Turag-Buriganga
rivers. Every day tons of wastes are dumped into the river along the riverbanks between
Kamrangir Char Bridge and the second Buriganga Bridge.













There are also 300 brick kilns around draining their wastes into the river. Industrial waste
accounts for 60 per cent of the river's pollution, followed by municipal waste. Even
hospital waste is dumped into this river. River transportation contributes in a small way.
Only the annual monsoon replenishes the river but very slightly. Experts say pollution-
free water contains around seven milligram dissolved oxygen and the level must not fall

Figure: Industrial waste, followed by municipal and domestic wastes account for 60% of
river pollution

12

lower than 4.0 milligram. In some parts of the river the level of dissolved oxygen was
found to be near zero, what is technically known as biological oxygen demand is ten
times higher than normal in the Buriganga waters.
4.2.3 Local vessels
Local vessel operators indiscriminately dump solid wastes into the Buriganga, completely
disregarding the DCC laws. BIWTA sources confirm that they get huge quantities of
discarded polythene deposited beneath the water during dredging. The materials from
breaking of buildings of the riverbanks also add hazardous substances into the river.
There are many other offenders abusing the river. Innumerable mechanized trawlers and
vessels ply in the rivers of Dhaka. Ignorance about the adverse environmental effects of
dumping waste materials from the vessels such as solid wastes and burnt oil and
BIWTA's lack of stringent laws against such dumping as well as lack enforcement have
all contributed to the pollution.







Figure: Local vessels that ply on the Buriganga are one of the main polluters
4.2.4 Sedimentation
In the dry season, due to the sedimentation upstream, the flow of Buriganga-Turag
system gets cut off. The hydrologists and engineers of Bangladesh Water Development
Board (BWDB) inform that the flow of water at that time is next to zero. During this

13

period of time the system mainly carries sewage and industrial effluents. Therefore
sedimentation indirectly contributes to the increase in river water pollution.
Sedimentation could be caused by means both natural and man-made. Sedimentation can
be caused by man-made non-biodegradable materials like polythene. A recent survey
found that a polythene stratum measuring about 10 feet in thickness was embedded under
a certain stretch of the Buriganga. The river remains terribly polluted from domestic and
industrial wastes and the polythene makes it worse, especially given the shallowness of
the river.
River dredging can be a viable solution to this problem. But this requires high investment
and most importantly the Governments interest, to come onto effect.
4.2.5 Encroachment
Encroachment has always been a big threat to rivers consuming the banks and narrowing
them further and further. Politically backed influential land encroachers have created
illegal structures including houses, bazaars, ghats (port), brickfields etc. on the river that
has created obstacles on the flow of the river.
Construction of unauthorized structures on the banks of the Buriganga is going on
unabated. Drives conducted at different times failed to keep the banks free from
encroachment due to the absence of sustainable measures. The encroachers keep
returning and have reconstructed about 200 structures which were demolished earlier,
grabbing about 50 acres of land.
In a recent survey, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) identified
326 illegal structures, 50 per cent of which were demolished earlier during several drives
conducted by the BIWTA and district administration.
The government taskforce that was formed to save the Buriganga recommended
immediate cancellation of all leases of land on its banks and a stop to future leases.

14








There is a need for creating a powerful body to free the rivers from the clutches of
the encroachers and polluters, instead of having so many non- functional ornamental
bodies. There should be sufficient scope for devising ways and means so that the land or
water bodies, once recovered from the land grabbers, cannot be recaptured. The land
grabbers, through their illegal settlements have blocked up the natural passage of the river
water. Other than the encroachment, the land grabber also pollute the river
indiscriminately, disposing waste materials, both sewerage and effluents, into the water.

5.0 Impacts on Environment Due to Buriganga River Pollution

The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, is situated on the bank of the river Buriganga. The
water of Buriganga is polluted by industrial waste and capital sewage which cause her to
become biologically dead.
Tannery waste is mainly contaminating the river. Around 20,000 cubic meters of
untreated highly toxic liquid waste flow in to the Buriganga through canals according to a
recent report of the Department of Environment (DoP). These tanneries are mainly
situated in Hazaribag few kilometres away from capital. Due to over pollution of surface
Figure: One of the many sites of encroachment on the Buriganga


15

water, ground water of Hazaribag is getting polluted. The contamination of Buriganga is
threatenning the existence of three other rivers Turag, Balu & Shitalakhya.
Several environmental processes are involved with the Buriganga. Its pollution is
harming the surrounding agricultural and aquatic environment. The deteriorating
condition of the river is also having an impact on the people living in its banks and
depending on it for a living.

The pressures on the river and their state and impacts are tabulated in the table below:

Pressures State Impacts
Pollution :
Industrial effluent
Domestic sewage
Faecal pollution
Oil spill
Encroachment
Sand extraction

Decreasing inland
water quality in
dry season
Declining fish
population
Decreasing
vegetation
Increasing river
unpredictability

Pressure on water
source
Fish mortality and
decline on quality
of fish
Degradation of
fish habitat
Yield reduction
Increase in risk
from water borne
diseases
Marine aquatic life
affected
River bank
erosion, changes
of river courses,
navigable
channels.
16

5.1 Impacts stretching boundaries

Industrial discharge and sewage disposal into Buriganga river are the two most polluting
sources of water pollution. The pollution is mostly due to wastewater discharge from the
tannery industries in the Hazaribagh area and Tejgaon chemical and paper mills into the
river. Pollutants from these industries are categorized into three parts:
i. bio-degradable organic waste
ii. non bio-degradable inorganic waste
iii. toxic waste
Disposal of such untreated industrial waste is gradually destroying aquatic environments
of the river and this in turn is affecting peoples health.
Millions of cubic metres of toxic waste from the
Hazaribagh tanneries and thousands of other industries,
topped with a huge volume of untreated sewage from
the city, now remain almost stagnant within the river
water. The situation is set to continue until a new flow
of water rushes in from the upstream.
5.2 Water use in question

Extremely hazardous air pollution is generated by the
highly toxic water as it releases a 'gas' that starts irritating the nostrils and throat as soon
as humans breathe it. Its foul odours can be smelled from as far away as half a kilometre.
In summer the situation is worse. The river becomes pitch black and releases noxious
smell.

The fetid smell of the river water has made it unsuitable for drinking and other purposes.
As a result there is a shortage of water source. People living along the river are the worst
victims of the pollution.
17

The river water is no longer healthy to drink. Analysis of surface water shows that the
level of dissolved oxygen in the river water is too low or sometimes non-existent as the
toxic effluents are discharged into the river. The toxic quotient of the river exceeds
tolerable limits in the months of January and February. The seasonal variation of water
quality in the Buriganga is linked with seasonal variation of water flow and the operation
of the tanneries. The seasonality of flow in the watercourses from the river constitutes a
significant constraint to its ability to dilute and disperse effluent discharged into it. So as
already mentioned, the pollutants sometimes stay for a long time in the same place in the
river in concentrated form unless water from upstream does not flush them away thus
harming the overall water quality.

The river water hardly satisfies the quality
parameter set by the Environmental Quality
Standards (EQS) thus showing the unsuitability of
the water to be used for irrigation, bathing, and
washing of household items. The tube wells for
drinking water is also inappropriate to use due to
groundwater pollution. Concentration of dissolved
heavy metals such as chromium and iron in the
groundwater is forcing the inhabitants to rely on
expensive alternative water supply.

Thousands of water transport workers, working on the passenger and cargo vessels in
Sadarghat, are forced to bring water from the river Meghna and Dhaleswari for washing.
Unable to take a bath or wash clothes for days, many of them have even begun to suffer
from various diseases. The washermen too have their share of problems because of river
pollution. Those living near the Buriganga struggle to wash clothes in the river during the
dry season as the water become too filthy. Even so, some washermen have no choice but
to wash the clothes in such dirty water.
Figure: Even though the water is
too filthy some have no choice but
to use it
18

The scenario is even bleaker in the villages along the river, in the upstream of the
Buriganga. Hundreds of thousands of families living in Zinzira, Kholamora,
Kamrangirchar, Jhaochar, Modhyerchar, Wasspur, Basila and Looterchar face a severe
water crisis for at least six months a year. Dependent on the river for generations, this
population has been cut off from using the river water. They are now forced to travel
miles to get water for their daily chores. However, the slum inhabitants in the tanneries
have to use the water from Buriganga for bathing, washing and sometimes drinking.
Nobody knows how much harm and potential carcinogen diseases will occur to them.
They are already the victims of several water bred diseases like dysentery, diarrhoea,
cholera and shigella food poisoning.
Owing to the direct disposal of city and industrial sewage into Buriganga, faecal pollution
has become prominent. Diseases like cholera and diarrhoea are transmitted by faecal
contamination of water. People living in slums around the city use these contaminated
water for all recreational
purpose and this results in
spreading of water-borne and
skin diseases.
The pollutants are stagnant in
the river since the water flow is
low in the river except during
monsoons. This stagnancy
accelerates the population of
mosquitoes and thus expedites
the spread of vector borne diseases like malaria, dengue hemorrhagic fever and filariasis.
5.3 Impact on food chain

Pollution in the river has destroyed the river water's ecosystem and also rendered
hundreds of acres of totally barren agricultural land. To exacerbate the pollution, the
ferries spill oil into the river. Fishes exposed to oil spill and toxins in the water causes the
Figure: Direct disposal of sewage pollutes the river
19

fish and other marine animals such as river dolphins to get infected. Because oil floats on
top of water, less light penetrates into the water, limiting the photosynthesis of marine
plants and phytoplankton. This endangers the flora and fauna of Buriganga and also
affects the food chain in the ecosystem.
Oil spills and toxins from pollutants have reduced the fish population in the river. There
has been degradation of the fish habitat and thus a decline in the quality of fish. Fishes
are found rotting in the river adding to the unbearable stench. This reduced yield of fish
has affected many fishermen, who live in the banks
of Buriganga, economically. Also consumption of
the contaminated fish is causing dangerous diseases
such as food poisoning and other gastro intestinal
diseases, especially among the poorer section.
Agricultural lands in the villages around the river
have become barren. The river water used for
irrigation is responsible for this. The water has
dissolved heavy metal and other toxins that kills
plantation. As a result when the poisonous water
has been used for irrigation it has destroyed
vegetation and has made the land unproductive for
further agricultural activity. This has harmed the
inhabitants socially as well as economically.

5.4 Lust ends nowhere
Another human intervention in the Buriganga river
system is the encroachment of the river by the
influential. Encroachment, of course, has always
been a big threat to the river. It is eating away the banks of Buriganga and is narrowing it
further. Politically backed influential land encroachers have created illegal structures
including houses, bazaars, ports, brickfields etc. on the river that has created obstacles on
the flow the river.
20

The river beds loss of course means a narrower bed which exacerbates flooding. In an
effort to reduce flooding, the river is often dredged. Ironically this results in the
branching rivers and canals drying up which are subjected to further land grabbing.
One more recent problem is the officials allowing sand traders to extract much more sand
than the permitted quantity from riverbeds in the capital, an act that is threatening the
channels and courses of the citys rivers and the densely populated localities along their
banks the sand traders are extracting with powerful dredgers in massive amounts.
Unscientific sand extraction from the riverbeds not only makes the rivers extremely
unpredictable but also destroys their courses, navigable channels and environment. The
unscrupulous removal of sand from the river bed is causing serious threat of river bank
erosion affecting the security of the inhabitants.

6.0 Impacts on Economy Due to Buriganga River pollution
The effects of this unabated pollution on the environment can have dire economic
consequences. These are discussed below.
6.1 Scarcity of Clean Water
The universal appeal of water for people makes rivers valuable economic development
assets of a country. With a huge population of nearly 14 million, Dhaka citys water
consumption demand is over 2,200 million liters at approximately 1.57 liters per person
per day. Dhaka Wasa is unable to meet this demand with scarcity of resources and system
loss. Wasa generally meets about 15% of its water needs from surface water sources and
the rest is obtained from deep tube-wells exploiting underground water aquifers. Due to
pollution of surface water, increasing population and industrial growth, Wasa has been
forced to sink such tube wells in places like Mirpur, Shyamoli, Khilgaon and Bashabo.
This, in turn, is lowering the city water table at a faster rate than the rate of recharge. So
in the not too distant future underground water sources could be exhausted. The main
future potential source thus has to be surface water from rivers such as Buriganga.
21

But due to both industrial and domestic waste dumping, water in Buriganga is so polluted
that, even after treatment with required chemicals, it is not completely free of ammonia.
According to WASA sources, water treatment plants along the river Buriganga are unable
to treat the thoroughly polluted water of the river and as such, some residents cannot use
its water for drinking purpose. The Sayedabad water treatment plant, which in normal
circumstances produces 228 million litres of water, has now been reduced to a state
where there is a shortfall in the supply of water by as much as 60 million litres.
So scarcity of water is highly plausible with current scenario of massive pollution in
Buriganga and other surrounding rivers. More surface water treatment plants have to be
built to keep up with the demand for water. So pollution is hurting the economy by
constraining sources for water which eventually results in greater costs.
6.2 Obliteration of Fisheries
Liquid waste is contaminating the waters of the Buriganga River on the surface as well as
the ground water resource base. During the lean season, the Buriganga River turns deadly
for fish and other sub aquatic organisms. The Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) also
reflects the pollution rate of water. It depicts the capability of water to destroy germs and
the lower the BOD the less polluted the water is. According to a study by BUET Civil
Department in January, 2007, BOD in the water of Buriganga at Hazaribarg area is 28,
which indicates extremely polluted water. When solid waste and effluents run into the
river, the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water rises, creating oxygen is
calamitous for the sub aqueous life.
22


In fact the water of the Buriganga
has become so polluted that its
aquatic life has almost been ruined.
Effluents of tannery factories lower
the dissolved oxygen (DO) content
of the river water below the critical
level of four milligrams per liter. In
some parts of the river the level of
dissolved oxygen was found to be
near zero (unsuitable for aquatic
life). It is feared that these natural
resources are in decline (in both
diversity and number) thus
jeopardizing the prospects for
sustainable development.

Most of the local fishermen have already abandoned their livelihood due to fish
deficiency in the river. Trade of fish revolving around Buriganga is virtually destroyed
resulting in deteriorated local economy.
6.3 Navigation problem

The Buriganga and her mother river Dhaleswari connect Dhaka to the other rivers and
through them with almost all the districts of Bangladesh. Sadarghat, a large quay on the
river Buriganga, is the gateway to the capital city from the southern districts of the
country. It is the countrys main waterway for trading and ferry travel.
Figure: Aquatic life in Buriganga has become
almost non-existant due to pollution
23


Figure: Navigability is reduced to a great extent because of pollution in Buriganga
But due to the current situation of severe waste dumping in the river large steamers can
no longer through the river channels during dry seasons. Due to gradual sedimentation in
the Buriganga river system, the conveyance capacities of the channels have decreased
and consequently the navigation drafts have been reduced.
6.4 Reduction in Tourism Attractiveness
Situated roughly in the center of the country, Burigangas rich historical background,
natural beauty and great economic importance qualifies it as an attractive tourism
destination. But severe pollution in Buriganga has mutilated the river and destroyed the
great potential as a tourist spot.

Figure: Pollution has marred the beauty of the once mighty Buriganga
24

7.0 Steps Taken so far

Now we come to the discussion of what the relevant authorities are doing to deal with the
theats facing the Buringanga.
7.1 Relocation of the Hazaribag tannery

The Hazaribagh Tannery Relocation Project (HTRP) was undertaken by the Industries
Ministry in 2003 to save the capital city and the Buriganga River from toxic pollution.
The government is bearing the entire cost of the project from its own pocket while
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is implementing this
project at Kantiboilapur, Chandranarayanpur and Charnarayanpur in Savar. Sources said
the project was made following the guideline prepared and submitted by experts of the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in 1996. Under the
project, all tannery industries will be relocated to Savar from the city's Hazaribagh area
and waste treatment plants will be set up to save the environment from further pollution.
To implement the project, the BSCIC acquired 200 acres of land in Savar and started
development of the land in 2007. Of the total amount, Tk 1.0 billion was earmarked for
development of land and other facilities for the tannery industries, while Tk 700 million
for setting up the waste treatment plants and other works. Hazaribagh is home to almost
200 tanneries, which produce several thousand tonnes of toxic wastes and industrial
effluents daily, causing environmental pollution and exposing the city population to great
public health risks. A total of 195 industrial plots will be developed on 145 acres of land
and the remaining 55 acres will be used for construction of roads, BSCIC offices,
hospital, and mosque. BSCIC will develop four types of industrial plots -- A, B, C and S.
A three-member UNIDO team visited Bangladesh in November 1996, to see the overall
situation of industrial waste treatment and management. They visited Hazaribagh tannery
industries, the Buriganga River and exchanged views with the people concerned,
including government officials about the possible solution to the problem. In its report,
the UNIDO suggested the government to take up a plan for pollution control and
treatment of tannery effluents at Hazaribagh. Other UNIDO suggestions included
25

installation of Chromium Recovery and Reuse Unit (CRRU) at each tannery and setting
up of a Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP)
Although the government is persuading the tannery owners to start shifting their factories
from Hazaribagh to Savar, most of them are reluctant to relocate their plants as a central
effluent treatment plant (CETP) has not yet been built at Savar. A High Court order is
also pending on the proposed CEPT. Besides, most of the commercial banks are refusing
to transfer the existing mortgages in Hazaribagh to the new sites at Savar.

However according to owners, it is not possible to start shifting before such problems
regarding CETP and its establishment is resolved. Moreover, they say moving to Savar
leather estate without a CETP is the same as staying at Hazaribagh. The issue of
compensation for relocation costs should also be considered before the shifting,
especially in the light of losses to the industry due to global economic recession, they
added.

Approximately more than 200 plots have been allocated so far to 154 tannery owners to
date. All the tanneries in Hazaribagh received orders from the High Court to leave the
area by February 28, 2010. The court also ordered all industries to set up effluent
treatment plants by June the same year. As per the ruling of the bench, factories polluting
the environment would either have to install ETPs or suitable devices within June 2010 or
would be closed in July that year. The bench also asked the Home Secretary, Inspector
General of Police and Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to provide the authorities
concerned with sufficient logistics and police forces to close the eco-unfriendly
industries. The court said it would continue proceedings of the case until its directives to
prevent environmental pollution are implemented.
Indeed, the government's inaction in installing a waste treatment plant has been delaying
the relocation of the leather industries. It was scheduled to hand over the industrial estate
to the tanners by 2010 as per agreement. Reports say escalation of project cost by almost
five times is the main cause of delay in the project work. The complex procedure for
inviting fresh tender for CETP is taking too long. The government had prepared the first
26

project proposal in 2003. According to the proposal, the estimated cost of the three-year
project was Tk 1.75 billion that increased to Tk 5.45 billion in the revised proposal in
2007. In 2003, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC),
Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters' Association
(BFLLFEA) and Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) signed a tripartite agreement to
implement the project. The government took the decision to relocate Hazaribagh
tanneries to Savar to save the capital and Buriganga river from toxic pollution caused by
industrial wastes.
The bleak outlook of the project is underscored by its cost escalation; what started out as
an estimated cost of Tk 1.75 billion is set to escalate now by Tk 1.87 billion.
As the present site for relocation stands on the eastern bank of the river'' Dhaleshwari,
near Tetulia of Savar, about 20 km. upstream of Dhaka. The planned CETP will
discharge about 21000 cubic meter of waste water in to the river. As the Dhaleshwari
river lies upstream of the Buriganga, the wastewater will virtually enter the Buriganga
and again its water will be polluted. It is said that millions of Dollars are earned by
exporting leather and leather goods. On the other hand, we might be losing 1000 times
more worth fishes killed in Buriganga and other rivers. This is a grave problem which
needs to be attended to immediately.
7.2 Plan to Import water from Jamuna River
There is a plan to import water from the river Jamuna to increase the flow of water in the
surrounding rivers in Dhaka City. The projected cost is Tk. 850 crore. In 2005, plan of
plantation by the riverside was taken by government. In 2004, Dhaka WASA undertook
the project of repairing 150km seepage line. In 2005, a project of modernizing &
increasing the capacity of the Pagla Recycling Plant with sanction of 250km new seepage
line was undertaken. Under the project of North Dhaka Expansion, project of sanction of
three new recycler plants with adequate sewerage line was undertaken. Dhaka City
Corporation will implement the project of sanctioning 4 new Garbage Dumping Yards
and the cost will be Tk. 510 crore. As the tannery will be transferred at the northwest
27

part of Keraniganj, an integrated buffer of a khal and forest will be produced to protect
the entire settlement and agricultural field.
7.3 Step taken by the previous caretaker government
The previous caretaker government took a step to arrest the ongoing process of not only
killing the river, but also of destroying what still remains of this once lively river. The
government formed a twenty-two member committee comprising representatives from
Local Government Division, the Dhaka City Corporation, Rajdhani Unnayan
Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Energy And Mineral Resources Division, Petrobangla,
Environment ministry, Institute of Water Modelling, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
Authority, Federation of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka
Export Processing Zone (DEPZ), the District Administration and the Joint Forces. The
committee so formed worked to control the way the various industrial units and other
sources are emptying their waste matters into the Buriganga as well as protect it from the
land grabbers. Short- and long-term measures were taken to achieve the goals set by the
committee. The two technical committees formed for this purpose detected all the sources
that pollute the river and also review the past work done on this issue as well as look into
the existing laws that could have been useful to go ahead with the task of the committee.
7.4 Concern expressed by our lawyers
Our legal community has taken the initiative to persuade the High Court to issue a suo
moto rule asking the government to inform the Court within a month about what steps
have been taken to prevent environment pollution, as pointed out in the writ petition filed
on July 15, 2001. One hopes that the judicial process will establish accountability and
lead to some improvement.
7.5 Works by Awareness Groups
Save Buriganga is an activist group whose mission is to create awareness among the
citizens of Dhaka city, Bangladesh about the dangers facing the Buriganga River. The
group helps to create awareness by posting videos on Facebook.com and by sending e-
mails to concerned individuals.
28

Save rivers, save Dhaka, a joint initiative taken by Channel I and The Daily Star
seems to be promising. It also generates hope seeing that awareness groups have
taken strong initiatives like Rally for Rivers to change our miserable plight.






About 500 representatives from 65 organizations and institutions on August, 5th
2000 brought out a colorful boat procession on the Buriganga carrying banners and
shouting slogans for saving the river from pollution and encroachments. The procession
was organized by the Save Buriganga Movement, launched recently following reports of
indiscriminate encroachments and pollution of the river. POROSH, an organization
working for protection of the environment led the Movement.
Their demand included immediate removal of the massive encroachment and removal of
the other encroachments nearby. Leaders of the movement including AMA Muhith of
POROSH, Prof. Mozaffar Ahmed and Dr.Wahiduddin Mahmud of Dhaka University
who vowed to continue the fight till the river is freed from encroachments and pollution.
Khushi Kabir of ADAB was also present. The organizations and Institutions which
participated In the procession include ADAB, ARMCO & ANANDA, BASA, BAWPA,
Dhaka University, Jagannath University College, NEAB, PRATYASHA, Nagorik Samaj,
Rotary Club Dhaka, Mid town, SEED, WVA, DORP, Design Vision, FEMA and TMSS.
Nirveek, an organization which works on environment, held a boat rally and formed a
human chain on the bank of Shitalakhha at Hajiganj Ghat in Narayanganj in 9
th
May 2009
to press home its demand to save Buriganga and Shitalakhya river.Cross section of
people joined the human chain held at the west side of Shitalakhha River.

Figure: A boat procession was organized on August, 5th 2000 by the Save
Buriganga Movement recently to protect the lifeline of the city from pollution
and encroachment.
29

8.0 Recommendations

It is strongly recommended that heavy penalties be imposed not only on the guilty factory
owners but also on the inspectors who have been recalcitrant in performing their duties.
Here is an opportunity for the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission to
demonstrate that they are agents of change and that they believe in good governance.
The next step should be to re-locate the tanneries away from Dhaka. This might require
two to three years but needs to be undertaken on a priority basis through public-private
partnership and in a comprehensive manner. Most of the European Union (EU) counties
are set to pass new policies that will bar import of products from industries that pollute
environment with harmful chemical agents and do not have individual or central effluent
plant. As such, the shifting should be completed as early as possible keeping in mind the
impending EU legislation, or else it would hurt the export-oriented industry.
The government contended that the construction work of the basic infrastructure and
sewerage has already been completed. It is going to float a fresh tender soon for setting
up the CETP. In any way, the relocation process has to be accelerated. All procedures to
invite the fresh tender should be expedited. In order to save the industry from impending
losses, the tannery owners should start the preliminary stages of shifting without further
delay.
The relevant officials in the Dhaka City Corporation responsible for solid waste
management, sewerage, sanitation and hygiene are taken to task for their inefficiency.
There is prevalence of corruption in this sector also. There have been many reports in the
print media about lack of observance of rules and regulations by clinics in disposing of
their used articles. This is leading not only to contamination but also to the spread of
diseases. Such conditions are unwanted and should not be tolerated.
The concerned departments of health, LGRD and the environment, in association with the
Dhaka City Corporation, should undertake an integrated effort to identify the problem
spots and then remove them. One measure could be to create an environmental police
30

force to monitor and assure effective implementation of regulations. The cost of creating
and maintaining such an outfit could be met from the municipal tax paid to the Dhaka
City Corporation and the sewerage tax paid to Wasa
The effective but cheap purification approach based on chlorine gas, known as ETP
(Effluent Treatment Plant) operation, provides an opportunity for both the industry and
DoE to perform in a win-win situation.
Heavy penalties should be imposed on the guilty factory owners and the recalcitrant
officials in the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), responsible for solid waste management,
sewerage, sanitation and hygiene for their inefficiency and corruption.
Illegal occupiers on both sides of the river should be evicted for good; the recovered and
filled areas dug or dredged up and integrated in the river channel. All this should be done
successively, even simultaneously where necessary, to avoid any let up in the process of
restoring full life and shape to the river. After restoring free flow, no structure of any kind
other than terminal points for boats and launches should be allowed on either side of the
river all along the stretch of the city and beyond. Both the banks should be secured and
beatified with a tree-lined moderately wide road all along, if necessary further removing
some structures falling in its path.